It is known to make methyl formate, which has utility as a fumigant or as an intermediate for the production of formic acid, by the dehydrogenation of methanol. For example, British Pat. No. 1,546,004 describes a technique of carrying out the process using specific copper catalysts to provide good methanol conversions and highly selective methyl formate production. Some of the most effective catalysts for the reaction described in this patent are combinations of copper, zirconium and zinc and of copper, zirconium, zinc and aluminum. The combination of copper and zinc is also described as a catalyst for the methyl formate production from methanol but it appears that the conversion of the methanol and yields of methyl formate diminishes significantly after the operation is running for 50 hours. Other references disclosing this reaction are Japanese Patent Publication 53108916 which describes a copper, zinc and silica catalyst combination and Japanese Patent Publication No. 53068716 which describes a catalyst containing oxides of copper, chromium, manganese, magnesium and/or potassium. None of these references describe the catalyst used in the process of the present invention.